


Assorted Candy

by konfoz



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Halloween, Halloween AU, Halloween Costumes, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 23:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20266111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/konfoz/pseuds/konfoz
Summary: Halloween intensifies Rey's love for giant candy bars, and that means she's that much more determined to hit up every house on the street.Even the one that looks like a haunted mansion and belongs to the rudest man Rey's ever met.





	Assorted Candy

**Author's Note:**

> reposted as a separate work  
also unedited

Rey is a strategist, it’s what she's good at. Residing in the Jakku Orphanage proved that survival of the fittest was essential to living a semi-tolerable life, so Rey learned the ins and outs of the place during her time there until the age of eighteen.

She applied those skills to her life after, whether it be her job at The Resistance, the biggest aerospace manufacturer in Coruscant, or to something as simple as choosing the right brand of cat litter for BB. With Halloween right around the corner, Rey knew it was time to bust out her fool-proof plan:

In order to maximize on the amount of candy they can get in one evening, they'd have to leave at exactly 8:20--late enough that most of the smaller children have already gone home, but early enough that the older people haven't gone to sleep yet. Costumes had to be comfortable and easy to move around in, so that meant no heels or dresses with trains. Her pillowcase rested on the living room couch, ready to be filled to the brim with sugary treats. She even had the bowl of mini Snickers and Kit-Kats next to her front door, so Rose could answer and give out candy while they were out. 

Yet it was 8:05, and Finn hadn't come back from his boyfriend’s place from when he left earlier that morning. Rey had his pirate costume laid out on her bed, looking void and lifeless. In between answering the door for trick-or-treaters, she was casting anxious looks at the clock above the fireplace mantel. Even the smell of the pumpkin bread that her housemate made didn’t doing anything to calm her nerves.

Her phone rang, and she almost toppled over the decorative skeleton that was sitting on one of the open island stools. Rose gave her a look, but the brunette ignored her as she read Finn’s name on the screen.

“Where are you?”

“Rey, it's Poe.”

She paused and blinked. “Hey what's up? Why are you answering Finn’s phone?” In the background, Rey heard someone groan.

“We have a little bit of an issue here,” the boyfriend stated. Rey guessed that he was rubbing the back of his neck. “Finn ate some bad seafood for lunch and he's not going to be able to make it.” Finn groaned again, and Poe cursed over the line, “Shit he just threw up again. I'm going to have to call you back.” With that, the line cut off.

Rey stood there for a second, staring at her phone. Noticing her reaction, Rose commented, “What's the matter?”

After explaining the situation, Rose sighed. “That's too bad. Guess you'll have to go trick-or-treating alone then.”

“No, I shouldn't go at all anymore. I mean Finn sounded miserable,” she walks over to the closet to grab a coat, “I should go check up on him.”

“Well there's nothing you can really do. Poe is taking care of him, and you've been in the Halloween spirit since August ended.”

Halloween was never celebrated in the orphanage. It was considered a delicacy to have even one piece of chocolate every now and then, so Rey fell in love with the holiday once she was actually able to partake in it.

“But--”

“Do you think Finn would be happy if he knew that you skipped Halloween to take care of him? Just go to a couple houses and bring some candy back for Finn too, so he can have it once he's feeling better.”

Rey hesitated one arm already in a sleeve, “I guess I could do  _ one _ street.”

Rose turned to pull out the pumpkin bread out of the oven. “Sounds good. If you're going to only one, you should hit up First Order Lane. They always have the best candy. Like the full on giant candy bars.”

With each word, Rey's eyes widened. Grabbing her pillowcase and make-shift costume, she dashed out of the house, almost knocking over a little cowgirl and ninja in the process.

She has passed by First Order Lane on her daily runs many times before, but it’s about a mile away from her house. Parking would be atrocious if what Rose said about the type of candy they give out was true, so Rey wrestled on her costume over her worn jeans and black v-neck, and continued the trek to the renowned neighborhood.

As she passed by her block, she noticed children dressed up and carrying pails of candy and other goodies. Most of the younger children seemed to be done, as their baskets were filled to the brim. She cut across a yard filled with spiderwebs and fake gravestones, and crossed the dimly lit street. Even though it was dark out, the moon obscured by the ominous clouds that seemed fitting for the occasion, there were plenty of trick-or-treaters milling about. Rey picked up her pace, her feet slapping on the concrete pavement.

Ten minutes later, Rey turned on to First Order Lane. Her eyes widened at the plethora of teenagers that milled around, some holding bags of candy and some drinking what she guessed was not soda.

She stalked up to the first house she saw--a large two-story stone house with smoke machines in the front yard. Admiring the animatronic witch at the porch, she knocked and waited for someone to answer. An elderly woman wearing cat ears answered, and Rey’s eyes zeroed in on the box of full-size candy bars. Jackpot.

“Trick-or-treat!”

After snagging a Snickers, she went across the line of houses to receive Kit-Kat bars, Twix, Halloween-shaped pretzel bags, and even a whole caramel apple.

Pulling up to the last house in the cul de sac, her eyebrows furrowed at the lack of decor. Compared to the other mansions, this one only had a crudely carved pumpkin that looked more deformed than anything. Yet, what stood in front of her looked like it belonged in the 12th century. The gothic-style mansion stretched so far up that the closer she got to the door, Rey had to crane her neck to see the extent of it. Black columns stood high and mighty, supporting the overarching windows. The imposing structure had the likes of a typical haunted mansion.

The only light was the one that illuminated the front porch. Chills ran up Rey’s spine, and she chanted “ _ For Finn _ ” multiple times to steel herself so she can knock on the fiberglass door. Not even a second after she made contact, she jumped at the sound of a dog barking inside.

It took a few seconds for the door to open, but she smelled him before her eyes took in the stranger in front of her. He was the human epitome of spiced apples, but that was the only thing about him that seemed inviting. The man towered over her, and Rey considered herself to be tall for a woman. He wore black socks, and black skinny jeans to match his thick black turtleneck sweater. Rey quickly skimmed past his lips to settle on his dark eyes and flowing shoulder-length hair.

The time it took for Rey to realize she was staring, the man had already quirked up an eyebrow. “What an...original costume.”

It was flat and said sarcastically, which made Rey snap out of her thoughts and bristle slightly. It was supposed to be ironic and cheap: a white sheet with two holes cut for her eyes. Reminded of her mission, she held out her pillowcase. “Trick-or-treat.”

His eyes took in her form. “You’re about the size of a teenager but sound like a grown woman.” He pursed his lips. “How old are you?”

Rey’s eyes flashed at the height comment, but promptly answered back, “22 years.”

The stranger leaned against the edge of the door, holding it open just enough that Rey could see his entire body, but not the contents of the lavish house. “Aren’t you a bit old to be trick-or-treating?” His voice was toneless and condescending, making Rey tense.

“Aren’t you a bit old to be going for the depressed artist look?” She bit back.

His eyes narrowed into slits. “You must be incredibly lonely if you’re an adult and celebrating this stupid holiday by yourself. Too poor to afford candy on your own?” He paused, then muttered under his breath, “Or a decent costume?”

Frozen in outrage, Rey reeled in her resentment of the man’s rude disposition in front of her. His comments were hitting too close to home. “You speak of loneliness yet here you are: alone on a Saturday night, probably sipping on some excessively overpriced scotch, giving out candy to little kids as your form of entertainment to hide the crippling sense of self-deprecation.”

He stood up straighter and sneered, “Might I remind you that you’re asking _me_ for the candy?”

Rey ripped off her sheet, “And might I remind you that this is no way to talk to a lady?”

The man blinked, and this time, fully took in her appearance. Rey’s skin was flushed, her hair sticking up every which way from the lack of sheet covering her head, and her eyes were blazing. Something changed in his expression, but his cold eyes held hers when he apologized with a stony, “I’m sorry.”

Her hand clenched the sheet, and she shook her head. “You can keep your candy.” She turned away stiffly and started to head down the porch, before she turned back around. His eyes never strayed from her form. “A piece of advice? Maybe you could be a little nicer to random strangers. Have a pleasant night.” With that, she stormed off in the direction of her house.

* * * * *

Chewing on a handful of Skittles angrily, Rey slouched on the couch the more she thought about the encounter that ruined her night. How dare he? How could someone be so rude? He had his porch light on and a decoration in his yard. If he didn’t want any trick-or-treaters, why put out anything? And insulting her costume no less! Just because he lives in a five-story mansion doesn’t mean that he could make fun of (in her opinion) very funny costume. Making sure to firmly push the comments of loneliness from her mind, she continued to inwardly curse the existence of the unnamed person.

She wondered if he acted the same way to the children that knocked on his door, poking fun at a naive little Power Ranger or fairy. It wouldn’t surprise her if he did, based on the way he acted towards her.

As if sensing her mood, Rose was smart enough to stay away. However, she did place a slice of pumpkin bread on a plastic Halloween-themed plate on the coffee table in front of her. Snatching up the dessert, Rey took a bite and checked her phone after it buzzed in her pocket. She took it out to find a picture of Finn fast asleep in bed, with Poe giving her a thumbs-up. Her mood improved from that picture alone.

* * * * *

Rey’s eyes slid over all of Finn’s coworkers until they landed on her friend, typing a document on his computer while sipping on some tea. When she walked over and tapped on his shoulder after throwing a smile at his deskmate, she shook the plastic bag of candy in her hand as a smile overtook his face. “You better be grateful.”

His chair swiveled to face her, and he leaned back to stretch in his seat. “You’re actually a lifesaver.”

“I think there might be a couple of those in there, now that you mention it.”

“Rose told me you hit the motherload this time.”

“I didn’t get to go to a bunch of houses, but the ones I went to had amazing candy. Speaking of, I need to tell you about the last one--”

“Finn, we discussed the visitor policy the last time your boyfriend came to visit you during working hours,” a voice cut in smoothly, addressing the man the brunette was speaking to.

Before she could recognize the deep and suave voice, Rey turned around to come face-to-face with the man who had been the bane of her weekend. He still wore all black, yet this time, he was decked out in a suit and tie. A look of horror was plastered on his face, which she was sure mirrored her own as well.

After a beat of stunned silence, Finn spoke up hesitantly, “Mr. Ren, this is Rey Kenobi. Rey, this is Mr. Kylo Ren, my boss.”

Rey was the first to break out of her astonishment, and her face slid into a cold mask. “We’ve met briefly.”

Kylo Ren shook his head to remind himself of his surroundings, but that didn’t stop his gaze from upraising her form. Rather than the lousy sheet she wore during their first encounter, Rey was wearing a tailored, white button down with a dark green pleated skirt that kissed her knees. Her work outfit gave her a chic and professional vibe, but it was still her style if her chunky thrift-store necklace and worn white canvas shoes were anything to go by. Suddenly self-conscious, Rey crossed her arms.

“Yes, we met a couple days ago when she was out during Halloween.” Ren’s eyes zeroed in on the plastic bag of goodies that Rey was still holding, “Presumably, she must have been collecting candy for you.”

While Finn attempted to explain the situation, Rey and Ren were holding a staring contest, yet neither one of them knew where to look. To Rey, he looked even more handsome than he had the night they met, but remembering the nastiness of their confrontation, she unknowingly interrupted her friend, “My lunch break is almost over. I’ll see you later Finn.” She speed walked out of the doors that led to the hallway elevator, leaving a confused Finn and speechless Ren in her wake.

In her rush to get out and put as much space between her and Kylo Ren as possible, Rey didn’t even give Finn the bag. She cursed her stupidity as the elevator descended to the main floor of the lobby.

As soon as she stepped out, Rey almost ran into her best friend’s boss, who was doubled-over from exertion. She stopped and waited as he held out an arm to keep her from reaching the doors to exit.

“What do you want, Mr. Ren?” She didn’t know what else to say, given the fact that he clearly bounded down a few floors in order to talk to her. The receptionist and employees coming into the building all stopped and stared at the duo, making Rey’s face color.

After he caught his breath, he stood up to his full height. “Ms. Kenobi, I just wanted to apologize for what happened on Halloween night.”

This was clearly unexpected, and everyone in the lobby was listening in on their conversation now. If anything, she believed that he was going to use the opportunity to hurdle more insults at her face. Distrustful, Rey tried to push past him, “Consider yourself forgiven.”

He stepped in her way, and let out a sigh, “Please?”

Not knowing what else to do, Rey moved back to face him. He let out another breath and ran his hand down his face, the other cocked on his hip. “I was extremely impolite to you that night. I never meant to hurt your feelings, or come off the way I did; I was surprised, to say the least, yet I know that it does not excuse my behavior,” his eyes held hers, and Rey could have sworn she read regret in them. “I acted like a complete and utter ass.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he held out a hand to stop her, “If there’s anything that I can do to make it up to you, it would be much appreciated,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

It took a few seconds for her to respond, but Rey gave him a tentative smile, “You could possibly buy me a coffee sometime.”

His eyes lit up, “Do you expect me to bring you a candy bar too?” His demeanor changed into a playful one, “Because that could be arranged.”


End file.
